Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid and Sheikh Hamdan offer condolences to Rayan's family

Morocco in grief as boy, 5, dies after five-day effort to rescue him from well

The parents of Rayan Aourram walk away after rescue workers retrieved his body from a deep well and placed it in an ambulance, in the village of Ighran in Morocco's Chefchaouen province. EPA

An ambulance drives away from the well where rescuers retrieved the body. The 5-year-old Moroccan boy who was trapped in a well for four days has died, authorities confirmed. EPA

The rescue effort began after Rayan fell 32 metres down a dry well on Tuesday. AFP

Rescue workers carry the body and place it in the ambulance. EPA

Rayan's body was wrapped in a yellow blanket after it was taken out through a tunnel dug specifically for the rescue. AFP

A member of the Moroccan emergency services in action during the rescue operation. AFP

Search crews first used five bulldozers to dig vertically to a depth of more than 31 metres. AFP

On Friday, rescuers started excavating a horizontal tunnel to reach Rayan. AFP

Experts in topographical engineering were called upon for help. AFP

A Moroccan emergency services climber surveys the site. AFP

People wait for word on the rescue. AFP

Rescuers had earlier been able to feed Rayan food and oxygen through an opening in the well, and they placed a camera on him to watch his progress. AFP

Hundreds of technical experts, workers, journalists, volunteers and well-wishers watched the rescue mission at the site and on live streams. AFP

Members of the civil defence use diggers and other equipment at the site. AFP

Crowds gather near the well as they anxiously wait for news on the fate of the child. AFP

As the well became deeper, it also narrowed to a diameter of a little more than 30 centimetres, rescue workers said. AFP

A woman waits for news at the site. AFP

The rescue operation captured attention in Morocco and around the world. AFP

Rescuers work against the clock to reach Rayan. AFP

Rescuers toiled through the night as concerns about Rayan's safety grow. AFP

Rescuers during the nerve-racking final stages of a marathon effort to rescue Rayan. AFP

Bystanders watch as the rescue attempt continues. AFP

The brave work of rescue workers goes on. AFP

Concerns about ground stability halted the rescue attempt at times. AP

Rayan's father said that he was touched by the outpouring of support from fellow Moroccans over his son's ordeal. AP

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid offered his condolences to the family of Rayan Aourram and the people of Morocco after rescuers extracted the little boy's body from a well.

The Vice President and Ruler of Dubai wrote on Twitter: “Our sincere condolences to the family of Rayan and to the Moroccan people and to all humanity that was devastated by his loss.

“May Allah have mercy on his soul and grant us patience and solace.”

Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai, paid tribute to Rayan in a social media post.

He was joined by thousands of people who expressed their grief and extended their condolences to the family of Rayan, 5, who was at the centre of a rescue effort that captivated the world.

“During five days he spent in the darkness hungry and in pain, he captured our hearts and we were elated at the news of his rescue but then broke our hearts. You may find warmth now with the God of light after your days in darkness,” wrote one Twitter user.

Rayan fell into a dry well on the outskirts of the city of Chefchaouen in northern Morocco on Tuesday.

Authorities were alerted the same day and spent five days trying to save him.

Moroccan officials announced his death shortly after he was reached by rescue workers at about 10pm local time.

It was not indicated whether he died before he was reached or after.